Inking mechanism for printing machines



Aug. 4, 1925. 1,548,700-

L. J. ZAHN INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Nov.` 3, 1925 ,A nuuinlll! 1 WW2/M' a WM ATTORNEY Patented Aug. l, i592 .n sans tiara@ .naivysenen znwzann, or, as'ronia, new Yoan, Assieivoa ro man in'rnnnafrronar. s rosfransnrvrfr comprimir. .a GomOR-Aroiv or nnafvom.

NKINGtli/EGHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

. Application` ledlember 3, 1823,. Serial No. 672,493.

ing,` vis a specification.

This vinvention relates kto` inking lmechanism for printing machines and'has for its primary, obieot supply of inlt to the type; characters of a, printing die or cylinder, certainsubject matterclaimed herein being disclosed in any priorY application for vpatentqiiled Juni/519th,

1.923, Ser.v No. `6fl,372entitled Check en- 'dorsing machine.

As: shownsin my application above re-l ferred to, provide an'absorbent inking roller mounted "and arranged 4to 'rest'eby gravityfupon a. revoluble printing' die and driven by frictional contact therewith. The novel feature of my present, disclosureA re-r sides in,v the provision of'an inl; receptacle i having av continuous spiral bladey rotatably i means to yieldingly holdsaid' blade in Cil mounted therein` and:v frictonally contacting-- with the absorbent inl: applying roller.f In

thelpreferred embodiment ofthe invention, s l preferablyniount. the ink receptaclerand said spiralfblade for bodily movement relay tive to the absorbent roller'f and provide pe-` rip'herall contactivith the roller. 'ult is another object.ofmyfinvention to provide an inking mechanism of1 thischaracter rvherein the ink receptacle isdivided by a central partition into tivoiinkl receiv ing compartments adapted to receive inks of relatively different colors and a spiral ink applying blade rotatably mounted in each of these compartments for Contact ivith the absorbent material of thefinking` roller. rlChis roller is provided ivith a central an-` nular .barrierI which prevents the flou/fofy ink from one sectionof the absorbent material intoy th'e other.

With theV above, and lother objects in vieiv, the invention consists in tl'iefimproved inking mechanism and in the form, construction and relative arrangement of the several parts as ivill be hereinafter more fully described,

illustrated in the accompanying drawings and subsequently incorporated in tli'emsub.- joined claims.

to provide simple and posi- UV@ means tot" insurlng a Constant uniformI ln the drawing wherein l have illustrated one lsimple and practical embodiment of the invention and in Which similar reference characters designate Correspending` parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a top plairvieiv .of the inling` mechanism i .I

.-Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and i l Figure- 3 is4 a detail fragmentary,eleva-A tion shoiving the; mouhtingfof the inkvreceptacle and they rotatableink supplying blade.

. ln the accompanying drawing, l have illustrated the rotatable printing diev 5 of the checkhendorsing mechanism shown in vmyprior application above identified. HOW- ever, it Will be understood that the improved inking mechanism is not necessarily limited Vin its utility to such a machine but by resortingl to obviousvmechanical modifications it might` also be readily Vadapted for use'in connection ivith variousother types of printing' machines. I The partsof the inking :mechanism lare supported in a substantially U-shape'd frame or yoke 6 the horizontally disposed arms 7 `of .Which embrace the inking roller S, said vroller"having'suitable trunnions 9 at its opposite ends journaled in the ends of said frame arms., Each yof these frame arms is, also formed upon its outer side Livith a suitable guide 10 to loosely receive a standard or po'st`11 fixed to a base 'plate 12T` lt ivill be understood that these posts or standards loosely 'support the frame 6 and the parts mounted therein so that the inking roller 8A rests by gravity upon the periphery of theprinting die, as shown in FigureQof the drawing.

Atthe opposite sideof the roller 8 with respect to the ,printing` die 5, the arms Y of thel frameare integrally connected by the transverse bar 12, each, of said arms being also formed Wit-h a depending part 13. rlhe lovver ends,k of these depending parts 123 are provided ivith. the obliquely inclinedfslots lathrough which the oppositelends the shaft extend.y This shaft 'isfflso- "rotatably supported in a fliliidtight stuffing box of any preferred" construction provided in a p artitionz' plate 16. fi'i'hichQ,centrally` divides theI ink,` Ireceptacle2,15 into"y the tivo non- Acommunicat'iig'oompartifients' 17. vThis vrebody wall of said trough at its lowermost point being weighted in any suitable manner as indicated at 18 so that it will at all times assume a perpendicular position relative to the axis of the shaft 15.

The shaft 15 has two spirals 19 iiXed thereon and extending` in the same direction, one of these spirals operating in each of the compartments 17. The spirals -may be se cured upon the shaft- 15 in any preferred manner, but for convenience, I preferably turn a coarse spiral thread or groove in the periphery of the shaft and secure therein a series of spiraled annular discs or plates,`

the ends of adjacent plates being welded or otherwise secured to each other so as to thus produce a continuous spiral.

It will be noted from reference to Figure 2 of the drawing that the central partition 16 in the ink receptacle or trough extends above the upper edges of the trough walls, such upwardly extending portion of the partition having its edge disposed in the same plane as the peripheral edges of the spirals 19.

The inking roller 8 consists of a suitable core upon which kthe two felt layers 20 of suitable thickness are secured. These felt layers are divided or separated from each other by a centralring or annulus 21 .which may be of Celluloid or other preferred material, said ring or annulus being of sufficient thickness to present an impassible barrier which will efectually prevent the flow of ink from one of the felt sections 2,0

to the other.

To the opposite ends of the shaft 15 exteriorly of the frame 6 the ends of contractile springs 22 are loosely connected, the other ends of the springs being suitably attached to the side arms 7 of the frame. These springs act to pull the shaft 15 and ink receptacle 15 upwardly, thereby holding the peripheral edges of the spirals 19 in frictional Contact upon the felt sections 2O while the edge of the upwardly extending portion` of the partition wall 16 contacts with the separatingbarrier 21 between the felt sections.

In the transverse bar 12 of the supporting frame 6 I provide the ink liller cups 23 for convenience inA filling the compartments 17 of the ink receptacle.

In the printing of endorsements upon checks it is frequently desirable to have one part of the endorsement appear in one color and the `other part in a contrasting color. Thus in the operation of the present in vention, blue ink may be placed in one of the partitions 17 and red ink in the other. As the printing die- 5 rotates, rotation is transmitted to the ink absorbent roller 8 which, in turn, -by its frictional pressure on the edges of the spirals 19, rotates the latter. The lower portions of these spirals extend ing into the ink in the compartments 17 carries the ink upwardly so that it is distributed longitudinally upon the felt sections 20 and absorbed thereby. The spirals are of such pitch that the felt sections 20 are substantially uniformly saturated with the ink throughout their area. However, by reason of the central barrier 21 on the inking roller, the differently colored inks are segregated from each other. These saturated felt sections 2O contacting with the printing die 5 apply ink of one color to a part of the type characters on the diewhile ink of a contrasting color is applied to the remaining type characters. Therefore, the impression made by the rotating die upon the paper check as it passes through the machine will appear with the desired p0rtions thereof in the different colors.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have produced a novel inking mechanism which is of very simple construction and positive and reliable for the purpose in view. While I have referred to ian arrangement whereby the ime pression is made in differently colored inks it will be understood that in so far as the structural features of my present disclosure Kare concerned, the device might also be employed for printing in ink of onlyone color. Likewise although I have referred to a particular mounting and arrangement of the parts of the inking mechanism, this also might be modiiied as to its several detail features in accordance with the particular purpose for which the printing machine is to be employed and the construction and arrangement of the parts of the printing mechanism. Therefore, while I have herein shown and described one simple and prac tical embodiment of the device, it is nevertheless to be understood that the essential features of my kpresent disclosure might be embodied in various other alternative constructions. I accordingly reserve the privi ,lege of resorting to all such legitimate changes in the form, proportion and relative arrangement of the several parts as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. An inking mechanism for printing machines comprising aframe, an absorbent inking roller mounted in said frame and adapted for engagement with a rotatable printing member, a rotatable ink applying member also mounted in said frame, a counterbalaced ink receptacle pivotally suspended from the axis of said ink applying member, and means tending to move said ink applying member and the receptacle asa unit with relation to said frame in a radial direction with respect to the inking roller to maintain the ink applying member in frictional contacting engagement With the periphery of said inling roller.

2. An inking mechanism for printing machines comprising a frame, an absorbent inling roller mounted in said frame and adapted for engagement With a rotatable printing member, a rotatable ink applying member mounted in said frame and having its axis shiftable in an angular direction radially of said inking roller, a Counterbalanced ink receptacle suspended from the axis of said ink vapplying' member, and springs connected With the ends of said axis tending to move said ink applying member and the receptacle as a unit in the frame and maintain said member in frictional bearing contact upon the periphery of the inking roller.

3. In combination with a rotatably mounted printing die, guide standards, a trame loosely engaged with said standards, an absorbent inking roller rotatably mo-unted in said frame and frictionally contacting` with the die to be rotated thereby, an ink receptacle and ink applying means mounted in the frame for movement relative thereto, and means yieldingly urging the receptacle and ink applying means in one direction to hold the latter in bearing contact upon the periphery ot said ink absorbing roller.

4E. In combination With a rotatably mounted printing die, inking mechanism therefor including` a frame, an ink absorbing roller mounted in the frame and bearing upon said die to be rotated thereby, said roller having spaced ink absorbing sections, an ink receptacle mounted in said frame and having a central partition dividing the same into compartments, a rotatable spiral mounted in each of said compartments and frictionally contacting` With one of the ink absorbing sections of said roller to be rotated thereby and apply the ink from one compartment to the roller section, and a barrier interposed between said absorbent sections of the inking roller.

In testimony that I claimthe foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereunder.

LAWRENCE J. ZAHN. 

